On this episode of The Accessible Stall, we sat down with Nic Novicki of the Easter Seals Disability Film Challenge. Needless to say, we’re huge fans. Enjoy! We talk about disability and the media, and what it means to be disabled while working in front of or behind the camera. And you guys know how much we love talking about media. It’s like, our favorite thing. NB: There is some audio sync issues in the middle of the episode. Sorry about that! Power through it, it’s a good one! A transcript for this episode can be found here.

Who is Nic Novicki?

Nic Novicki is an actor, comedian and producer who has performed on six continents.

His television credits include: Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos, Jack and Triumph, The Neighbors, Austin and Ally, Private Practice and Drop Dead Diva. He has appeared in several movies, including L!fe Happens, November Rule, The Last 5 Years, Boston Girls and Breaking Wind and will soon be seen in the upcoming Dead Ant.

Nic has produced several feature films, television pilots and web series for companies including Sony, CBS, Air China, Maxim and Universal and is an active member on the Producers Guild of America’s Diversity Committee. Nic wrote for the CBS Diversity Showcase and has also written and directed several short films including A Little Broke, which was acquired by the TV station Shorts HD (now the DISH Network).

As a stand-up comedian, Nic has performed on AXS Gotham Comedy Live and traveled the world, including several tours through Armed Forces Entertainment, performing for troops in Kosovo, England, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, France. Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Portugal and Spain.

Nic is a board member of Easterseals Southern California (ESSC) and the founder and director of the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge.

During the Challenge, registered filmmakers – with and without disabilities – are given a span of 55 hours over the designated weekend to write and produce short films (three-to-five minutes) that Help Change the Way We View Disability, which are then judged in four award categories – Best Film, Best Filmmaker, Best Actor and Best Awareness Campaign – by a noted and diverse group of entertainment industry talent.

Since the Challenge launched in 2013, aspiring filmmakers from around the world have created more than 150 films which have been viewed online and at festivals. Winners have included Jamie Brewer, who won Best Actor in 2017 for her role in Whitney’s Wedding, has been acclaimed for her role on American Horror Story and was the first model with Down Syndrome to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week; Dickie Hearts, Best Filmmaker winner in 2015, who went on to win an HBO Project Greenlight digital series competition; and Jenna Kanell, winner of Best Film in 2015 who went on to give a TEDx Talk about her experience.

Nic attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, the school of Film and Television, and UCB Theatre. He resides in Hollywood, Calif.